NAB's Licensed to Serve newsletter provides a sample of noteworthy stories that illustrate the many public service activities broadcasters organize on any given day across the country. From arranging record-breaking toy and food drives to providing free air time for political campaign coverage, broadcasters' continual commitment to their communities is showcased in Licensed to Serve.

Learn MoreClick here to learn more about broadcasters' community service initiatives
and nonprofit partnerships.

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If your station has a great public service campaign that should be
recognized, email Allison Kreutzjans, manager, Public Service Initiatives
or call (202) 429-5448 with details.
Follow NAB Public Service Initiatives on Twitter: @BroadlyServing.

Broadcasters Respond to Hurricane Isaac

Stations Join Together to Cover IsaacHurricane Isaac left 700,000 Louisiana residents without power for days. Broadcast stations served as first informers, with breaking news on-air and online. Belo Broadcasting's WWL-TV New Orleans anchors spoke with a man trapped in his attic with his wife and his baby. With the station's support, the family was able to get lifesaving help. Guaranty Broadcasting's WBRP-FM Baton Rouge provided wall-to-wall, commercial-free storm coverage. Entercom's Louisiana stations simulcast ad-free weather coverage across its cluster. Clear Channel's "Operation Storm Watch" produced storm coverage at WRNO-FM New Orleans and simulcast it on four FM stations. Cumulus Media's New Orleans stations rebroadcast audio from Louisiana Media Company's WVUE-TV, which also multicast on KTBS-TV Shreveport. Cumulus stations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette tracked Isaac as it moved north. Susan Lucchesi, who oversees several Cumulus clusters, told Inside Radio: "After the storm passes, we plan to... mobilize listeners to help with recovery efforts... radio is a lifeline. It's what we love to do and what radio does best."

Tampa TV Outlets Cover Storm and ElectionTampa stations demonstrated great flexibility earlier this month when Hurricane Issac interfered with coverage of the Republican National Convention (RNC). "We had a great plan on track, then all the sudden Isaac comes along, and presents new challenges," Richard Pegram of Scripps-owned WFTS-TV Tampa told Broadcasting & Cable. In response, Scipps sent reporters, crew and equipment from their sister stations from Denver, Cleveland and Cincinnati to help with the coverage. "Our company spared no resources in getting people down here," Pegram said in the interview. Media General's WFLA-TV also had outside help from its nearby counterparts. Jeff Maloney of Fox-owned WTVT-TV explained to B&C, "This morning, we intended to be live at the Forum, but the story changed and became a local weather story." In their role as first informers, Tampa broadcasters showed their ability to adapt to the day's developments and continue to bring viewers and listeners the important weather coverage and election news they needed to know.

Broadcasters Promote Election 2012

Hearst Television Launches Free "Election 2012" AppHearst Television launched its Election 2012 App, which features national and local election content from stations in 25 markets. The free app includes election articles and videos from local stations, voter guides with voter registration deadlines, poll locations, candidate bios and positions, an Electoral College map and live election-night coverage. The app is part of Hearst's broader "Commitment 2012," which includes a partnership with PolitiFact and the Tampa Bay Times' website.

ABC News Upgrades App for Convention CoverageABC News updated its ABC News App for the 2012 Republican and Democratic National Conventions. During both conventions, the app provided users with three live video streams with commentary from ABC News anchors, Yahoo News talent and outside guests. The app also included a social feed that allowed viewers to respond to the coverage, discuss individual speeches and interact. The app will continue to provide election coverage during the presidential debates in October and throughout the last months of the campaign.

Twenty Candidates Accept Free Airtime from WJTH-AM/FM Cherokee Broadcasting's WJTH-AM/FM Calhoun, Ga., invited every candidate running for local elected office, including regional, state and federal positions, to appear on air between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on June 16. Each candidate was allowed three minutes to explain why they were the most qualified, without discrediting any of their opponents. Twenty candidates accepted the invitation. WJTH-AM/FM has offered local candidates free airtime for the past 35 years.

Univision Books Obama, Romney For TV Events Univision secured two live "Meet the Candidate" events – one with each candidate – after the Commission on Presidential Debates refused to add a fourth debate between President Obama and Gov. Romney that featured an Hispanic moderator. Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas will moderate the events in English and Spanish. "In our role of informing and empowering our audience... these conversations are critically important to the community we serve," said Univision's Isaac Lee.

Broadcasters Serve Their Communities

KZBD-FM Hosts Concerts and Bust a Bus Week to Aid StudentsMapleton Radio's KZBD-FM Spokane hosted the Back 2 School concert series on August 17 and 24. The concerts benefitted the Salvation Army's Backpacks for Kids campaign. Between the two concert dates, KZBD-FM's "Mega Morning Show" held the "Bust a Bus Week," where KZBD-FM broadcast live inside a school bus that moved to various locations around Spokane each day. During "Bust a Bus Week," the station's staff collected money, school supplies and clothing for the Salvation Army.

NBC Washington Collects School Supplies for Area StudentsNBC-owned WRC-TV Washington recently held the Backpacks 4 Kids drive in partnership with the local Apple Federal Credit Union. On August 16 WRC-TV's Pat Lawson Muse broadcast live from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. outside a local CVS.WRC-TV's Angie Goff broadcast live on August 21 from 6 a.m. until noon, collecting viewers' donations at the Apple FCU Kingstowne branch. Through live shots and a series of PSAs that ran throughout August, WRC-TV was successful in collecting thousands of backpacks, school supplies, and cash donations for students in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

ABC's Fresno Station Spotlights Local KidsABC-owned KFSN-TV Fresno recently profiled resilient local kids in a half-hour special, "Children First: Inspirational Kids!" The "Children First" campaign is a yearlong effort focusing on the challenges, problems and opportunities facing youth in Central California. The program focuses on how the average person can make a difference in a child's life and highlights local organizations that work with kids. The Children First campaign includes half-hour programs like "Inspirational Kids!," 30-second vignettes, public service announcements and special stories on Action News. Click here to watch a recent episode, "Children First: Fighting the Fat," a segment on childhood obesity.

Celebrity Pie Auction Benefits the American Cancer Society Independently owned WLEN-FM hosted a pie auction to help support the Lenawee County American Cancer Society Relay for Life on August 7. Every hour for twelve hours straight, the station auctioned off a pie donated by WLEN-FM personalities, local celebrities, elected officials and area businesses. Along with the pie auction, WLEN-FM has raised more than $25,000 for the charity this year.

Seven Yakima Stations Support Victims of Local Fire Fisher Communications' KIMA-TV, Revitalization Partner's KXDD-FM and five other Yakima, Wash., radio stations partnered for a day-long fundraiser to support the victims of the local Taylor Bridge Fire. The stations, in partnership with the Yakima Red Cross, collected more than $27,000 from viewers and listeners. Click here to watch the Yakima broadcasters in action.

WEEI-AM/FM and NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon raises $3.3 million Entercom's WEEI-AM/FM Boston and the New England Sports Network (NESN) hosted a 36-hour radio-telethon that raised $3.3 million for cancer research and patient care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Broadcast from Fenway Park, the event included two Red Sox games and interviews with patients, doctors, researchers and players. An on-field ceremony honored deceased player Johnny Pesky, an ardent Jimmy Fund supporter. The mother and grandfather of a Jimmy Fund Clinic patient who died at 19 threw out game two's first pitch. "Each year the Radio-Telethon brings us stories of incredible courage and ground-breaking research that continue to show us why the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber are so special," said WEEI's Jason Wolfe. Jimmy Fund began in 1948 after Boston players visited 12-year-old cancer patient "Jimmy" in the hospital.

WFAA-TV Dallas Collects Suits for Local Women Belo Broadcasting's WFAA-TV Dallas, the Mary Kay Foundation and local Dallas boutique Tootsie's recently partnered to promote Suits for Shelters, the Mary Kay Foundation's campaign to benefit a variety of domestic violence agencies. This summer, WFAA-TV promoted the Suits for Shelters effort on air and encouraged its viewers to donate their gently used professional women's clothing and accessories. The station also donated PSA airtime worth $25,000. This year, WFAA-TV's partnership with the Mary Kay Foundation helped to double the number of suits donated compared to the previous year. In total, 2,426 items were collected.

WCIX-TV Celebrates 20 Years of Neighbors 4 NeighborsOn August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida, toppling WCIX-TV's tower and leaving a community in ruins. In the aftermath, WCIX-TV's Neighbors 4 Neighbors began its mission to connect those in need with those who could help. The fledgling charity became a non-profit organization in October 1992. Today, working hand in hand with the WICX-TV's news department, Neighbors 4 Neighbors has become the "antidote" to bad news. For 20 years, Neighbors has connected over 5 million people through such programs as Adopt A Family 4 the Holidays and the Family Fund for families in crisis.

Denny's and Tom Joyner Promote African American HealthNationally syndicated morning host, Tom Joyner, and restaurant chain Denny's launched a national sweepstakes to send one listener and a guest to Philadelphia for a VIP experience at the "Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day Health Festival." The health festival, new to the "Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day" celebration, will occur Oct. 19 and 20. Attendees will receive more than $1,000 in free health services, immunizations, dental exams, lifesaving health information, seminars and live entertainment.